W.H. says Obama monitoring Detroit bankruptcy

7/18/13 6:03 PM EDT

President Barack Obama is monitoring Detroit’s municipal bankruptcy, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday, but has not committed any federal help for the beleaguered city.

“The president and members of the president’s senior team continue to closely monitor the situation in Detroit,” spokeswoman Amy Brundage said Thursday. “While leaders on the ground in Michigan and the city’s creditors understand that they must find a solution to Detroit’s serious financial challenge, we remain committed to continuing our strong partnership with Detroit as it works to recover and revitalize and maintain its status as one of America's great cities.”

The tepid reaction Thursday comes after saving the Detroit auto industry was a central feature of Obama’s re-election campaign – when Democrats savaged Republican Mitt Romney for a New York Times op-ed headlined “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt.”

Just weeks before Election Day, Obama used his weekly radio address to tout his administration’s rescue of General Motors and Chrysler, saying it was the federal government that kept the auto companies alive.

“But we refused to throw in the towel and do nothing,” Obama said in the Oct. 13 address. “We refused to let Detroit go bankrupt.”

And yet the White House had little public reaction as Detroit’s municipal finances tanked. Last week press secretary Jay Carney said there were no plans for a federal municipal bailout.

“I know that the president is aware of the situation in Detroit and that administration officials have been in contact with leaders in Detroit,” Carney said July 11. “But I’m not aware of any plans or proposals that the President has, but we’re certainly aware of the circumstances.”